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Thermarest can rightly claim that they started a minor revolution in backpacking comfort, before 1972 there was the 'closed cell foam mat' to sleep on that provided insulation but little comfort. Since 1972 we've had self-inflating mats and then ultralight airbeds from Thermarest and other companies that have transformed the quality of sleeping outdoors. Since moving into sleeping bags in 1997 The …

In this post we look at the Big Agnes sleeping mats that we stock and tell you a bit about them. Big Agnes's sleeping mats start at around 400 grams, they tend not to make extremely lightweight pads, preferring to focus on comfort and high insulation value, their pads are light for the job that they do. Designed for ultralight backcountry adventures, the Zoom UL Insulated eliminates the …

The key factors to take into consideration when choosing a sleeping mat are the pack size, weight, your budget and most importantly what time of year you will be using it which, determines the level of insulation you need. Comfort in an outdoor sense is partly dictated by being able to iron out the lumps and bumps in the ground with the mat, but insulation is king and if you’re cold you won’t slee …

Enlightened Equipment are experts in camping quilts; there's quite a lot to these alternatives to sleeping bags and we've reproduced their views and advice on this page to help you decide if a quilt could be for you. — A QUILT is an alternative to a sleeping bag that offers comfort, versatility, weight savings, and compressibility in ways that sleeping bags can’t. — Quilts allow the user …

In this post we've drawn together the range of 'How To' videos from Thermarest, some are particular to their own products but others apply more generally.

In this post we look at the various Thermarest Sleeping Bags and explain the differences and best use.

Thermarest divide their sleeping mats into three distinct ranges, Fast & Light, Trek & Travel and Camp Comfort - In this post we focus on the Fast & Light category explaining the differences between each mat and giving our opinion.

In this post we tell you all about Sea to Summit. We were the first company in the UK to recognise the quality of products made by this company and for many years we were the only ones selling Sea to Summit sleeping bags.

Rectangular versus Mummy shapes - Most sleeping bags you will see on our website are Mummy shaped, this is because a close-fitting bag will be warmer for a given weight because there is less volume of air to move around carrying heat away with it, and a close-fitting bag weighs less than other shapes because there is no waste of material.Some people feel too restricted by a mummy bag and would r …

Zips - Most sleeping bags are fitted with a full-length zip that runs the length of the bag almost to the foot. These zips usually have a slider at each end, allowing you to ventilate the bag from the foot end if it's too warm for the conditions. Some manufacturers make bags with zips on either the left or the right-hand side. A left-hand zip is by your left hand as you lie in the bag on your ba …

What is an R-value?The R-value is a measure used to rate how well your sleeping mat will stop heat loss. Thermal resistance is the measurement that indicates a materials ability to insulate - there are a number of different ways to express this but, as they all measure the same factor, they are all related. The starting point is the R-value.In the past, some brands quoted the R-value in SI units, …

We've selected our favourite NEW Sleeping Bags introduced for 2019, READ THE FULL ARTICLE or JUMP to the relevant BRAND using the links below:Updated Spark series - New bags, New Fabrics and Updated construction Sea to Summit's SPARK series of sleeping bags are their lightest bags with a warmth to weight ratio that's among the best available. For 2019 they have introduced an SP0 bag aimed at summe …